Katherine school bus tender 'paused' as parents raise alarm over bullying and violence

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Parent groups are calling for more supervision on school buses after the NT Government put a 20 million dollar tender process on ice in Katherine.  The move comes in response to concerns about fighting and bullying during morning and afternoon drop-offs - and could see the terms of the bus contract rewritten.

Transcript

00:00A school bus service that many parents in Catherine are reluctant to put their kids

00:06on.

00:07It was pretty shocking when we heard in detail from a wide range of people how bad it could

00:12get.

00:13Parent and school council chair Rob Chapman has been surveying local parents about the

00:17bus and collating their concerns.

00:20Shouting, pushing, violence, damage to the bus, windows getting broken, kids watching

00:27pornography, you know there's a whole gamut of stuff which wouldn't be tolerated within

00:32a school or a workplace and has been known about for a long time.

00:38The tender for Catherine's next school bus contract, worth up to $20 million, has now

00:42been put on hold as concerned parents call for new safety measures to be included in

00:48the deal.

00:49I've spoken to the Minister Yan about the bus contract, the tender that's gone out recently.

00:54That has actually been paused and the Minister is looking into that contract and he's also

01:00looking into the concerns that have been raised by community.

01:03NT school buses are governed by a code of conduct that does allow principals to request

01:08a second adult, besides the bus driver, to be on board, but only in special circumstances

01:14and with a written justification.

01:17The body that represents public schools territory wide says that's not good enough and is pushing

01:22for changes that will increase supervision.

01:25When the contract will go ahead, and if a second adult will be required, is still up

01:30in the air.

01:31I'm not sure how long that pause on the tender will be, but I know that all of the concerns

01:37will be looked into.

01:38An uncertain timetable for a vital service.

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